Use Your Miles

“Progress for some has not been progress for all!”

At the Stephen Lewis Foundation, donated Aeroplan Miles have also facilitated the formation of new partnerships, with organizations doing HIV & AIDS-related work with LGBT communities on the African continent.

The Foundation's burgeoning collaboration with these organizations is premised on the grim recognition that progress for some has not been progress for all. With more life-saving medication now available, we’ve seen a global reduction in the rates of infection and death due to AIDS. But far too many people and communities around the world are being left behind—disregarded and marginalized by the mainstream response. Infection rates are not falling for children and young women in sub-Saharan Africa, for men who have sex with men, for sex workers, or for injection drug users. Indeed, prospects for these communities remain so dire that international experts are warning the whole course of the epidemic could soon start turning backwards. Facilitated by the generous donations of Aeroplan members, the Foundation will work to ensure respect for the human rights of all people infected with and affected by AIDS—African LGBT communities among them.

As a member of the LGBT giving network, the new InterPride Fund, and a stalwart supporter of LGBT rights, the Foundation has a deep commitment to the human rights of women, children, people living with HIV and AIDS, and the LGBT community. Above all, we believe deeply in the power of community and grassroots responses, and in supporting communities at the frontlines of the AIDS crisis. Donated Aeroplan Miles are a critical component of our efforts to collaborate with these communities, and support their efforts to address the human rights dimensions of the global AIDS epidemic.